Angels & Sinners: The Motor City Edition (7 page)

“He killed himself?” I asked, causing Deb to gasp, her hand at her mouth.

Mrs. O shook her head and said, “He was seen years later, in the water by his family’s land.”

“That’s impossible,” I responded.

“The mermaids seek out men to spend their lives with and continue their family line. They are magical, yet innocent creatures, and they choose only men with the purest of hearts. You are a lucky man, Josh. Most men go their lifetime without ever bearing witness to one of these creatures, and you’ve seen yours twice.”

I shook my head, trying to deny the story she was telling me.

“She’s not mine . . . And, it’s just a story,” I countered. “Mermaids are
not
real.”

“So, you said that he was seen again, does that mean that Liam was able to come back and see his family?” Kyle asked.

“Aye, once he was fully adapted to the water, Liam was able to come back and see his family. He was even able to bring back his children to visit from time to time.”

“Children?” This was asked by Deb. “They can have children?”

“Aye, lass, but only females are born, which is why the mermaids come to the land to find their mates. They want to find a mate who will love and cherish them. Someone to spend the remainder of their lives with,” Mrs. O turned her head and looked at me with a smile. “Just like everyone else does.”

“That’s a lovely story, Mrs. O, really it is,” I said softly. “But it just isn’t realistic.”

“Sometimes you need to have faith in love, Josh. You’d be surprised at what’s possible, if you want it bad enough, and you believe.” Mrs. O got up and walked towards me slowly. She placed her hand on my cheek and looked into my eyes. “You’ve a kind heart, don’t let your stubborn mind get in the way of your happiness. Now, it’s off with the lot of you. You have dinner to get to, and I have a date with my own handsome man.”

I watched her leave, lost in thought when I was jarred back to reality by a slap on my back.

“C’mon, lover boy,” Marcus said heartily. “Let’s go get some grub and a pint.”

“All right,” I responded. “But no more talk of mermaids.”

“Done,” Kyle said with a smile, as he led Deb out of the room.

We weren’t in the pub more than ten minutes, before Marcus asked the bartender to spin a tale about the local mermaids, which started hours of stories, songs, and poems, about the beauties that brought men to their knees and took them out to sea. By the time our meal was over, I was ready to kill Marcus, but he, Kyle, and Deb sat enthralled as they listened to the tales.

“I’m going to get some air,” I said to Kyle softly, so as not to alert Marcus and have him cause a scene.

Kyle just nodded at me, distracted, then turned his head abruptly and said, “Stay out of the water this time. I don’t want to have to fish you out again.”

I nodded at him and slipped quietly out the door. I made my way down to the spot I’d met the woman that first night, my mind a confused mixture of speculation and theories. Obviously, she wasn’t a mermaid, but who the hell was she? What was this strange hold she had over me, and why did I feel compelled to be with her? There must be a logical explanation for all of it.

When I got to the base of the cliff, I looked around, trying to see if she was already there, but it was nearly impossible to tell. I’d forgotten how completely dark it was down here. I started to move to the left, when I heard her mesmerizing voice call out from behind me.

“Josh,” I turned towards her voice and felt a swift kick in the gut when I once again saw her glorious form before me.

I started to move slowly towards her, and this time she let me.

“Hello,” I responded with a smile on my face. Something about her presence made me feel a joy that I’d never felt before. “I feel like I should call you something.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, and I felt my body tremble, when she was close enough to put her hand on my arm.

“A name,” I replied, my eyes surveying her face greedily. I never wanted to forget this woman. I wanted to remember every inch of her. “I feel weird not calling you anything and referring to you as “that woman”.”

“What would you like to call me?” She asked with a smile as she brought her hand up to my face and touched me softly.

I looked into her brilliantly jade eyes and momentarily lost my wits.

“Muirin,” I said finally, thinking back to one of the songs that had been sung in the pub.

“Meer-een?” She asked.

“Yes, it means “born of the sea”,” I responded. I brought my hand up to touch her hair, and was surprised at how silky it felt between my fingers.

Muirin closed her eyes and made a sound of pleasure, as I ran my hand through her hair. My body felt as though it sprang to life and I closed my eyes briefly to try and rein the passion in. I didn’t want to frighten her with my exuberance.

“That is perfect, Josh.”

I opened my eyes and looked at Muirin, not wanting to break the spell and ruin the moment, but compelled to learn the truth.

“What are you?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“I think you know what I am,” she stated simply. Gone was the look of innocent pleasure. Her face held strength and determination, and I realized that her eyes were glowing and I no longer had the ability to move. Her hair whipped wildly around her, and I felt the temperature become much cooler. “Look deep within your heart, and you will see who and what I am, and what I mean to you. I am the one that you have been waiting for, so you could begin to live the life that you are meant. With me.” The last two words she said fiercely, almost as if she was branding me as hers, and no one else’s.

The wind died down and the light of her eyes dimmed, and I felt control being released back to my limbs. Her words terrified and revitalized me at the same time, and left me feeling bereft.

“I leave tomorrow,” I stated, my hand finding hers without thought.

The sadness on her face at my declaration, caused pain to shift in my heart.

“Why?” She asked simply.

“Our trip here is over, I must return back to the states and go back to work.”

“Is that what you want?”

“What do you mean what I want, what other choice do I have?” Frustration and longing tore through me as I gazed upon the sweetness of her face.

“You can choose to live your life
with
me, or
without
me,” Muirin responded.

“What does that even mean?” I asked harshly. “I’ve only just met you, and always under the strangest circumstances. And you’re always naked. Not that I’m complaining mind you, but don’t you have any clothes? And what would that mean for me, would I always be naked too? Where would we live? I mean, I’m an okay swimmer, but not good enough to swim for the rest of my life. Why am I even talking about this? It’s crazy! Totally fucking out-of-your-ever-lovin’-mind nuts!”

When I finally stopped to catch my breath I realized I felt much better after getting all of that off my chest.

Muirin came towards me until our bodies were almost touching, and put her finger on my lips.

“Shhh, you think too much.”

“What makes you think that I’m the man for you?” I asked against her fingertip, unable to stop the question.

“I felt it as soon as you arrived,” she said, a brilliant smile taking over her face. “I knew it, right here,” she placed her hand over her heart and looked at me serenely. “Don’t make the decision with your mind,” she moved her hand from her heart to mine. “Make it with your heart.”

Muirin turned and walked back out into the water, turning to give me one last heartbreaking look filled with yearning. “Come to me tomorrow.”

I stood there staring out in to the vast darkness for what felt like hours. Waiting for a sign, or maybe just waiting for her to come back. Every logical part of my brain screamed that I was crazy for even considering that the legends were true. The smart thing to do would be to return to my life, and find a nice girl to settle down with, and forget that I’d ever met Muirin.

Then why did the last look I’d seen on her face haunt me so?

“Seriously?”

I looked up to see Marcus, Kyle, and Deb staring down at me. I couldn’t see very well, but it looked like Marcus had his hands in the air in a “what the fuck?” gesture.

They looked like they were starting to walk down, so I yelled up, “Stop, I’m coming up.”

When I reached the top, Kyle and Deb were smiling at me and Marcus looked pissed.

“Did you seriously just go down into the water again?” he asked incredulously. “I thought you were fucking with us before, but now I’m beginning to think that you really believe in this mermaid bullshit. Look, Josh, it’s a good tale. I mean, who wouldn’t love to see a naked chick every time they went near the water, but that’s all it is . . . A bloody fairytale.”

“I saw her again, Marcus,” I admitted.

“Je-sus,” was his reply. He shook his head angrily. “I’m starting to think that you’re going to need to see a shrink when you get home.”

“I don’t know if I’m going home.”

“What are you talking about, Josh?” Kyle asked, his hand reaching out to grasp my shoulder.

“The legend is true,” I said slowly, begging them silently to believe me. “I have to figure out what I want to do.”

Suddenly they were all talking at once.

“You’re out of your fucking mind, mate.”

“Josh, honey, you can’t give up your life.”

“Brother, I know you’ve been lonely since your parents passed. Forget going back to the states, move to England and be closer to us.”

I smiled broadly at them, more grateful for their friendship in that moment than ever before. I held up my hands to get them to be quiet for a minute.

“I know its nuts, guys, but I need to figure it out on my own. I love you, and I’ll talk to you in the morning.” With that said, I turned and walked in the opposite direction of the cliffs as they shouted my name after me. I needed time alone to figure out if I could throw away everything that I had worked for in my life up until that point, for a chance at a little magic.

***

I stayed awake all night, randomly walking, sitting, and thinking, and I still didn’t have it all figured out.

I walked into the Bed & Breakfast as dawn started to break, and was surprised to see everyone awake and at the breakfast table, waiting for me to return.

“Hey,” I said as I looked around the table at the people who were the closest thing I had to family.

They all murmured their greetings to me, watching me carefully as I sat.

I nodded my thanks when Mrs. O placed a cup of coffee in front of me, and turned to face the entryway when I heard Mr. O say gruffly, “So, ye snagged yerself a mermaid, ay, laddie. It’s been a number of years since we’ve had a mating around these parts.” With that said he nodded, kissed his wife on the cheek, and headed back out the way he’d came.

I turned slowly back to face my friends, who were staring in shock at the empty doorway.

Mrs. O just chuckled and went back into the kitchen.

“What are you going to do?” Kyle asked cautiously.

“I’m going to go out to the water to see Muirin. I think once I do, I’ll know what the right decision is.”

“Muirin?” Deb asked.

“That’s the name I gave her,” I replied.

Oh, she mouthed back.

“I’m going with you,” Marcus said sternly, as if expecting an argument.

“Okay,” I replied, causing him to look at me suspiciously.

I shrugged, “If you go with me, and we both see her, then I’ll know for sure I haven’t lost my mind, right?”

They all nodded at me, a little uncertainly.

“Let’s eat then, we have to pack, and then Marcus and I have a trip in a boat to take.”

The rest of the meal was silent. It felt almost as if a sadness had taken over the room. Almost like a funeral. Like they were worried they would never see me again once I went out on the boat. I guess I was worried about the same thing.

I packed my bags and left them in the hallway. Either I’d be back to get them and catch my plane, or I wouldn’t need them anymore. I gave Mrs. O a hug, then turned to say goodbye to Kyle and Deb.

“Hey guys, thanks for being understanding about all of this. I know what it seems like, but your support means the world to me. If I don’t come back, I want you two to take care of each other.”

Deb nodded sadly as she gave me a hug and tried to hide the fact that she was crying.

I pulled Kyle into a hug as well, emotion filling me, and said, “I love you, man.”

“Me, too,” he replied gruffly.

“Let’s get this over, lover boy, we’ve got to get back and catch a cab to the airport,” Marcus said from behind me. “See you two in a bit.”

Marcus and I walked out to the boat, neither of us saying a word as we pushed off the shore. We rowed out swiftly, and when we rounded the corner, I heard Marcus’s swift intake of breath. I turned to see what was behind me, and was met with a brilliant pair of green eyes, and a smile that would light up all of Ireland.

“Ho-ly Shit!” Marcus said under his breath.

Muirin was in the water ahead of us, her breasts buoyant in the water, with her red hair slicked back and trailing out behind her. She was a vision, and as soon as our eyes locked, I knew what my decision was. What it had been from the moment I’d laid eyes on her.

I stood up slowly and started peeling my clothes off. When I dropped my underwear on the bottom of the boat, Marcus tore his gaze away from Muirin and looked at me.

“Jesus, mate. I could have gone my whole life without seeing that.”

I turned to look at him, my heart pounding and my face serious.

“Come back and see me?” I pleaded, then looked out into the cold ass water and back at him. “If I make it through this, that is.”

“I will . . . Often,” Marcus said with a smile.

I gave him one last nod before turning back towards my future and taking a leap of faith.

IN THE ARMS OF AN ENEMY

Bethany Shaw

CHAPTER ONE